1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless computer monitor, and more specifically, to a wireless monitor cradle having a TV tuner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wireless computer devices are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. Wireless technology is advancing at such a pace that wireless devices are set to replace conventional cable devices in the near future.
Consider a prior art wireless computer monitor assembly 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1. A wireless monitor 12 comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen 14 and a control panel 16. The LCD 14 is used to display information originating from a computer (not shown). The control panel 16 provides a way to adjust the contrast, brightness, color balance, and other such display characteristics of the LCD 14. The wireless monitor 12 rests in a cradle 18 and is electrically connected to the cradle 18 by a connection port (not shown). Display signals from the computer are sent to the cradle 18 via a connector cable 20. The monitor 12 can be freely removed from and placed in the cradle 18.
Prior art FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating how the cradle 18 functions. The cradle 18 is shown connected to a computer 22 via the connector cable 20 through a computer signal input port 30. The computer signal input port 30 is connected to both a monitor connection port 32 and a wireless communications module 34. The monitor connection port 32 is a quick connect type electrical port that is common in the computer and communication industries. The wireless communications module 34 communicates with a corresponding wireless communications module 36 disposed in the monitor 12 according to a standard such as IEEE 802.11 b.
When the monitor 12 is operating in the cradle 18, display signals are sent from the computer 22 through the connector cable 20 and to the computer signal input port 30, the display signals are then sent from the computer signal input port 30 to the monitor connection port 32 and finally to the monitor 12. Similarly, when the monitor 12 is removed from the cradle 18, the wireless communications module 34 transmits the display signals as an electromagnetic signal 38 to the wireless communications module 36 of the monitor 12. In this way, the prior art wireless monitor 12 can be used to view output of the computer 22 when disposed in or removed from the cradle 18.
If TV signals are to be provided to the wireless monitor 12, the computer 22 must further comprise a TV card. Hence, the system resources of the computer 22 are used in processing TV images. Currently, there is no convenient and economical way to display TV signals on a wireless monitor.